Shabnam Choudhary, PhD

What’s the work that you do?

I work in the most extreme parts of the planet – the lifeline of our globe. My work focuses on the interaction of climate and aquatic systems in the Arctic and Antarctic regions. I study modern sedimentation processes and anthropogenic pollutants at different spatial and temporal scales. I am trying to comprehend (1) the source of sediments, (2) the factors controlling sedimentation processes in aquatic systems and (3) the impact of anthropogenic pollutants in these environments. Understanding modern sedimentation processes helps in the quantification of the geochemical cycling of the Earth system.

What keeps you going?

My passion for polar research and my curiosity to know about different global environmental issues. The thing that I love most in my job is to explore new ideas and perspectives – I hope to use my research findings for creating awareness of why polar regions are important and how climate change affects these vulnerable regions. Evidence of a changing climate is quite visible in the Arctic: it’s so important to understand these vulnerable regions.

What’s your message to the world?

Climate change is complex, and the more you study, the more complicated the situation becomes. When we integrate the data from all constituents, it can change our perception of what’s actually going on. So, beauty is not always how you perceive things but actually how things are in a global context. Have a deep vision, be cognitive, curious and open-minded.